Dining Guide

Encore Bistro Français

Description:

Enjoy savory French cuisine in a charming bistro setting. Menu includes homemade pâté, onion soup, escargot, breast of duck and sweetbread. Sidewalk dining available. Reservations suggested on the weekend. Open daily for lunch and dinner and features Sunday brunch.

Features

Best of Westchester

Best Steak Frites 2004

Best French Fries 2008. It doesn't have to be Bastille Day to crave all the great things a classic French bistro offers: mussels, escargot, cassoulet, and, best of all, a mound of salty, crunchy French fries. And Chef Eleazar Perez knows how to make fries super crisp and super tasty: 1) use fresh spuds; 2) make daily batches; 3) cook 'em twice. 'We cook them halfway through before refrigerating them until an order comes in,' says owner David Masliah. Besides saving cooking time on orders, it gets rid of a lot of starch for a cleaner, crisper taste.' The half-inch thin-cut Idahos are deep-fried in canola oil (no trans fat!), topped with kosher salt, and served in a cone-shaped container lined with faux newspaper. According to Masliah, most diners prefer ketchup with their fries but occasionally someone will ask for vinegar; the dip favored by Belgians as well as Canadians and Brits. 'If you ask me,' Masliah says, mayonnaise is the way to go.'